I know what you are saying about finger swiping ... its definitely not for everyone. I'm sure lots of PRS 600 users just use the physical buttons for page turns. Its also having to use the stylus for the menu system that would put me off. I know you can probably do most of menu stuff by using the buttons but I'm a touchscreen geek.
I'm sure the BeBook guys will produce great firmware and it will be a great product for people who dont mind using the stylus. I'll come back to BeBook when they get that colour reader out